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This Month In Clay Target Nation

January 8, 2025 By hdyer

The January issue of Clay Target Nation is our annual Reference Issue, packed full of information you’ll want to keep handy all year.

In our Training Tips columns, instructor Tim Short has some advice for shooters who get nervous about high 2, and Clayton Rue takes us back to “second grade” by reminding sporting clays shooters that they have to learn the basics first before they can build on that solid foundation — much like second graders have to learn to read before they can spend the rest of their lives reading to learn.

If you’re interested in supporting worthy causes in the skeet and sporting clays communities, you’ll find our article on the NSSA-NSCA’s fundraising efforts informative — it’s eye-opening to see how clubs, youth shooters, women shooters and more benefit from the funds donated by generous members. And, if you haven’t been to the National Shooting Complex in a while, check out the article about the updates that have been made to the property.

As for reference materials, this issue is full of lists and charts that will help you plan and navigate your shooting year. We have complete lists of the NSSA and NSCA governing bodies, so you know how to get in touch with the men and women who represent you. We also have lists of the Top 100 NSSA shoots, by difficulty factor, and Top 100 NSCA shoots, by entries. Perhaps most importantly, this issue has complete lists of all NSSA and NSCA shoots that had been registered by Dec. 12, organized by state, so you can start planning your shoot year.

Advertisers in the January issue are:

Clay Target Nation is available monthly to all members in digital and/or print form. Not a member? You can receive the next issue when you join at http://nssa-nsca.org/join-nssa-nsca/.

K-80 Raffle Winner Announced

October 30, 2022 By hdyer

On Friday, October 28, during the Top Gun Shoot-Out at the National Sporting Clays Championship, a drawing was held for the winner of the Krieghoff K-80 raffle. Congratulations to Bill Wilford of Musella, Georgia, who was drawn as the winner of the gun, and he will have his choice of a K-80 Pro Sporter, Sporter, or Parcours model with gold standard engraving and color case-hardened finish. The retail value of the shotgun is $23,090.

A total of 460 tickets were sold. Proceeds from the raffle help to fund the USA Sporting Clays Team as well as the NSSA and NSCA All-American Teams.

Thank you to Krieghoff for the generous donation and to all those who purchased tickets.

2021 World Shoot Photo Gallery

October 22, 2021 By hdyer

Whether you missed the World Skeet Championships this year and want to get a peek at the action, or you were there and are hoping to relive the memories, please enjoy this selection of photos from the 2021 World Shoot.

Click on a photo to enlarge.

Photos by Lefty Ray Chapa and Josh Poole

Houston Deshotels Wins HOA at 2021 World Skeet Championships

October 10, 2021 By hdyer

2021 World Skeet Championships HOA winners, left to right: Steven Wood, third; Houston Deshotels, champion; and Taylor Nicosia, runner-up

The NSSA congratulates Houston Deshotels, who won both HOA and HAA at the 2021 World Skeet Championships, held October 4-8 at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio.

Deshotels was perfect going into Friday’s .410 bore event, where he dropped only one target to finish the World Skeet Championships with a score of 449. Taylor Nicosia, who had dropped a target earlier in the week in the 28-gauge event, shot 100 straight in the .410 to tie Deshotels at 449 for HOA. Deshotels was the victor in the shoot-off, giving him his first HOA World Skeet Championship. He was also Triple-Sub Champion. Nicosia finished as HOA runner-up and Lady Champion. She also won Lady Champion in the Wayne Mayes Championship event, Lady runner-up in the 20-gauge and the .410, and Lady third in the 28-gauge and doubles.

Steven Wood, Cooper Oliver and Dessislav Ivanov battled it out in a shoot-off of 447s for the third spot on the HOA podium; Ivanov went out first and finished AAA1. Oliver went out next, finishing AA1, which left Wood as HOA third. Other class winners were Katie Hunt, A1; Tim Robinson, B1; Katie Lackey, C1; Michael Rykaczewski Sr., D1; and Steve Scales, E1. Katherine Adams was Lady runner-up, and Lauren Burge was Lady third.

With a score of 549, Deshotels was also HAA Champion, with Nicosia runner-up (547) and Ivanov third (546).

Also winning World Championships were Josh Poole, doubles and .410 bore; Robert Hicklin, 12-gauge; Michael Schmidt, 20-gauge; and Ryan Smithart, 28-gauge.

The previous weekend, at the Mini World, HOA winners included Alessandro Vitale, champion; Mike Woolard, runner-up; and Riley Chaddock, third. Vitale was also HAA Champion. Taylor Nicosia won doubles, Edward Smith won the 12-gauge, Michael Rykaczewski Jr. won the 20-gauge, and Josh Poole won the .410 bore. Wayne Mayes Championship winners were Ivanov, champion; Paul Newman, runner-up; and Nicosia, third.

Photo Gallery: 2021 Kolar U.S. Open Skeet Championship

July 20, 2021 By hdyer

With 785 shooters in the HOA, the 2021 Kolar U.S. Open iShoot was a success by all accounts. Held simultaneously at 15 different clubs across multiple states and time zones, the event saw terrific attendance and stiff competition. Stuart Brown, shooting at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, broke 399×400 to win HOA outright.

Enjoy this series of photos from various clubs. If you have photos from a club that’s not represented here, you can email them to hdyer@nssa-nsca.com, and we’ll be happy to add to our photo gallery.

Click on the photo to enlarge.